Looking back: The best of Fashion Revolution Week in the West Coast
Truth Behind Textiles in San Francisco
As part of Fashion Revolution Week, Sustainable Fashion Alliance and Fashion Incubator San Francisco at Macy’s Union Square hosted a panel designed to expose and examine textile sustainability. Do you know what your clothing is made from and how fabric production effects the health of the planet? A packed house of attendees got the impact rating on their favorite textiles and learned how the fashion industry is faring in sustainable textile sourcing.
Panelists included Annie Gullingsrud, Director, Textiles and Apparel Sector of Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Jamie Bainbridge, VP of Product Development of Bolt Threads, Juan Diego Gerscovich, Founder of Industry of All Nations and was moderated by Joyce Hu, Marketing Director of Wildlife Works and Co-Founder of Sustainable Fashion Alliance.
Referring to buying more consciously, Jamie Bainbridge said “We should all be skeptics and we need to do our homework,” acknowledging that her move from Oregon to San Francisco resulted in a more minimal wardrobe making her picky about the clothing she will buy- let alone fit in a San Francisco-sized Victorian closet. She also went on to encourage small and medium sized ethical brands: “As a small brand you can control the source unlike a bigger brand.”
“We exist because of the disappointments we’ve had with big brands… certifications aren’t enough” said Juan Diego Gerscovich who believes that larger brands with big budgets have the resources for the R&D needed to help shift the industry, yet most of their money is spent on marketing. He went on to inspire the audience as consumers in the conversation, “It’s not going to be them. You make up 7 billion people who can make the difference – the change is in your hands.”
Annie, who recently release her book “Fashion Fibers: Designing for Sustainability” presented an overview of the state of the industry and the innovative textiles currently on the market — and those in development. In addition, she expressed her own personal relationship with apparel and a newfound love for second hand clothing. “I believe in beautiful hangers because I treat everything like I value it…. The problem isn’t buying, it’s buying new, but used. This stuff sometimes we use it in three months. Once you’re over it, sell it back to the company. Check out sites like The Real Real, Postmark and Thred Up. Keep it circulating.”
If you missed the event, you can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/sustainablefashionalliance/videos/378613569300057/
Ziran “Made in LA” event in Los Angeles
On April 26th, the sustainable clothing line Ziran hosted a “Made in LA” panel discussion at their studio near downtown Los Angeles. The event was moderated by Kestrel Jenkins of Conscious Chatter and panelists included Ziran, Truth Never Told, Jetpack Homme, and 1×1.
The focus of the discussion was the good, bad, and ugly about being fashion conscious and manufacturing in Los Angeles. The panelists touched on a range of issues, from reaching order minimums to strategies working with social media influencers. The discussion was opened up to the audience members who asked a range of difficult yet informed questions! Stay tuned to more eco-conscious events from Ziran!
Beyond the Label “Wear Your Values” event in Los Angeles
Los Angeles hosted a myriad of exciting events and the Wear Your Values pop up and panel was no exception. On April 28th, at Row DTLA, shoppers, advocates, and designers alike gathered in the name of conscious fashion. Galerie.LA, along with Remake, Triarchy, Conscious Chatter, Fashion Revolution USA, and Beyond the Label partnered to share multiple sustainable vendors, interactive displays, and educational videos.
Brands inside Galerie.LA include Triarchy, HFS Collective, and Study NY. Brands such as Mate the Label, Back Beat Rags, and Soko gathered outside the sustainable shop to share their designs with guests. It was a sea of beautiful patterns, organic fabrics, and innovative ideas.
Beyond the Label was proud to present educational videos, to share the power, passion, and purpose of Industry of All Nations, RiverBlue, and Patagonia – a video about their Worn Wear program. Worn Wear is a program put forth by Patagonia to recycle garments we already have. When you send in used items from the brand, they will give you a credit to trade in for another gently used item and the cycle goes on and on from there. (WornWear also has a mobile van which has partnered with Fashion Revolution in the past to mend clothes on location while touring the US.)
A table featuring the Beyond the Label’s first edition of the How to Shop for Shi(f)t guidebook was available for purchase and BtL team members gathered to discuss how to #MakeShiftHappen with attendees. The guidebook is a detailed consumer guide to shopping more sustainably, no matter what your buying practices are.
Following the wonderful mingling and shopping was a panel moderated by Conscious Chatter’s Kestrel Jenkins. Dechel Williams, Ayesha Bartenblat, and Adam Taubenfligel discussed the progress that the conscious fashion community has made, and the feats still to come. Designers, curators, and changemakers alike have different, yet essential, roles in this movement we call slow fashion. The takeaway? Camaraderie is key in this industry because we cannot make lasting change without each other. By sticking together we can, and will have a fashion revolution. By Audrey Stanton
RE:Fashion Workshop in Oakland
On Sunday, April 29th the Bay Area community came together to learn how to mend, embroider and eco-print their used or damaged clothing at a Fashion Revolution Re-fashion Workshop hosted in part by Fibershed and Apparel Arts. 70 guests took part in three stations taught by local artisans Amy Keefer, Sierra Redding and Monica Medeiros. In addition to repairing, embroidering and natural flower and foliage printing on their used clothing guests were able to get creative with a variety of natural fabric scraps generously provided by Bella Notte Linens Fibershed brought an array of locally produced textiles — including the latest release of their wool book – on display so that attendees could experience local Northern California fiber systems and dyes. Finished works were featured in a “I Re-Made My Clothes” photo shoot.
About Apparel Arts…
Apparel Arts opened its doors over 20 years ago in October of 1996 with one patternmaking and design class. The student enrollment has grown substantially through word-of-mouth and now, in addition to our original patternmaking and design course, we have classes in construction, illustration, draping, design principles, textiles, manufacturing, tailoring, knits, swimwear, menswear and couture sewing. Our goal at Apparel Arts is to enable students to become industry-proficient in clothing design, patternmaking, construction, and manufacturing. We encourage students interested in working in the apparel field or those looking to expand an existing set of skills to consider our program. We also welcome artists, entrepreneurs and the serious hobbyist.
About Fibershed…
Fibershed develops regional and regenerative fiber systems on behalf of independent working producers, by expanding opportunities to implement carbon farming, forming catalytic foundations to rebuild regional manufacturing, and through connecting end-users to farms and ranches through public education.
GATHER . EAT . MAKE event in Oceanside
Amidst the energy of this year’s Fashion Revolution Week, a gathering in Oceanside, California brought together a sold out back patio of intrigued humans interested in connecting, eating and making.
Hosted by Liz Spencer of The Dogwood Dyer, Kristin Morrison of All Species, and Kestrel Jenkins of Conscious Chatter, the GATHER event took place at the Wrench & Rodent restaurant, and was an evening to come together to explore our relationship with fashion.
The night kicked off with a hands-on workshop taught by Liz, where she walked us through the process of using food waste (onion skins + avocado pits from the restaurant) to dye hemp bandanas. Following the making activity, guests enjoyed a fabulous vegan meal, including banana peel tacos, which are made from a neighboring smoothie shop’s waste.
A brief panel discussion around what sustainable fashion means to us and the psychology of consumption sparked the conversation piece of the evening. The participants broke into groups, and had their own powerful brainstorming sessions, that they later shared with the entire group.
Some of the standout action ideas that brewed amidst the chatter were: trade/barter/make, use/upcycle/alter/mend/buy less & better, push for more systems regulations in fashion, expand the culture of sustainable fashion, and education on all levels is key.
Iconawear “Sustainability for the Ages” event in the Bay Area
https://www.instagram.com/p/BizxO6lh-Ol/?tagged=sustainabilityfortheages
Sustainability for the Ages hosted 4 local sustainable designers for the fashion show, 7 vendors, and 4 speakers/teachers. We had about 130 registered guests and had a constant crowd throughout the day, 2 pm – 7 pm. We had a great turn out and it was lovely to meet people who came to this event as they found out through fashion revolutions page!
Kosa Arts event in Oakland
On Friday, April 27th ethical fashion supporters flocked to Oakland to take part in a “Local Solutions” Pop-Up at one of the Bay Area’s most celebrated indie boutiques –KOSA Arts. Guests has a wonderful time discovering locally made apparel and accessories options as well as the unveiling of a collection of garments made from locally harvested organic cotton. Featured designers includes KOSA Arts, Johanna Sprague, Anna Monet and Mohinders.
Amour Vert Event in Oakland
On Saturday, April 28th, Fashion Revolutionaries got together at Amour Vert’s Berkeley flagship for a mimosa brunch, shopping and panel discussion with female founders of the Bay Area’s leading sustainable fashion brands. Moderated by Robyn Hagan Cain of Rockyt, the panel included Linda Balti, founder of Amour Vert, Jamie Lim, founder of KAYU; Smita Paul, founder of Indigo Handloom; Gwendolyn Floyd, founder of Soko ; and Theresa Lee, founder of Future Glory Co.
